Hey, what if this were a list where I just ranked all the people I know in order of how I feel about them right now? That would be fun, right? Unfortunately, it’s not — read on for a roundup of the noble, pure-hearted, almost-all-anonymous individuals who are currently making my finals week even a little bit bearable.

1.     The One Other Guy in Gund Ballroom With Me At 5 A.M. If you weren’t here, this would be my train of thought – “What’s that sound? Is it a serial killer? It’s a serial killer. Oh God, he’s going to serial-kill me and nobody’s around to stop him. This is the way the world ends.” You keep my SVU-induced paranoia at bay while validating my life choices– when I look at you, hunched over your laptop as we exhaustedly greet the sunrise, I feel like slightly less of an academic boat explosion. But only slightly. Continue reading →